How to Install Bathroom Sconces

Wall sconces are a decorative way to add light to your bathroom. The lighting from a sconce adds dimension to the room and provides a lower level of light than overhead fixtures. Sconces mount directly to the wall, typically at or just above your line of sight. Installation requires a good working knowledge of electrical wiring and you will need to know how to feed wires behind existing walls through the small holes cut for the sconces.

1

Turn off the electricity to the bathroom at the breaker box.

2

Measure and mark the install location of the sconces on the wall. For best visual effect, space them evenly on either side of a mirror and between 5 and 6 feet up from the floor.

3

Locate the closest electrical outlet or switch to the sconces and unscrew the cover. Mark the path for the wires to travel from the outlet to the sconces. Use a stud finder to find any studs along that path that will need to be cut for the wire to fit through the wall.

4

Hold an electrical box, also known as a junction box, up to the location where each sconce will go. Draw the outline of the box onto the wall. Repeat the process with the switch box.

5

Drill a small hole in the wall at the center of the electrical box outline behind each sconce location and switch box location. Insert a wire hanger through the hole to check for any plumbing or wiring that is behind the wall. The space behind the wall must be free of plumbing where you will install the sconces.

6

Cut along the outlines of the junction box and switches using a keyhole saw. Keep cutting until you remove the entire section of drywall. Repeat this process, using the junction box as a template, at each stud location where the wires will pass through the wall.

7

Run wires from the electrical box to the hole you cut for the light switch. Run a second set of wires from the switch to the sconces. Each set of wires will consist of one green ground wire, one white neutral wire and one black live wire. When crossing studs, chisel out a small groove in the stud large enough for the wires to pass through and cover with a metal plate so the wires are not damaged by the drywall once patched.

8

Knock out the holes in the junction box and insert the wires from the outside to the inside of the box. Slide the box into the hole you cut and screw in place to a wall stud or use clamps to secure the box to the wall if no stud is available.

9

Connect the ground wires to the ground strap on the electrical box and the sconces. Attach the white and black wires to the corresponding wire supplies on the sconces and the switch according to the sconce manufacturer's wiring diagram.

10

Turn the power back on to the bathroom and test the circuit. The sconces will light up and should not flicker.

11

Screw the sconces to the wall using the mounting kit included with them. When the sconce is not attached to a stud, first insert a drywall anchor into the wall. then insert the screw through the sconce and into the anchor.

12

Reinstall the outlet covers and install the switch cover for the sconces.

Things You Will Need

Measuring tape

Pencil

Drill

Wire hanger

Junction box

Stud finder

Keyhole saw

Wire

Chisel

Switch including cover and screws

Screwdriver bit

Screws

Clamps

Drywall anchors

Tip

You may need a homeowner’s electrical permit to install the sconces.

Warning

Never expose or work on any electrical circuit before you cut off the power at the breaker box. Doing so could result in serious injury or death.

About the Author

Based in southern Virginia, Kristy Robinson has been writing for various websites since 2008. Her work focuses on tutorials and self-help articles. Robinson holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from American InterContinental University.